Background: It remains unclear how implementing new technology in the inpatient setting affects patients and providers. MyChart Bedside, a tool that allows patients open access to their health record, was implemented across several inpatient units within the Duke University Health System. Assessing provider and patient perceptions of this new technology is essential to understanding its potential benefits and harms.

Purpose: We surveyed patients, physicians, mid-level providers, nurses, and nursing assistants on hospital inpatient units within Duke University Health System where the MyChart Bedside tool was in use. We measured providers’ perceptions of the tool’s impact on their daily workload and on their relationship with patients. We measured patients’ satisfaction with the tool across several domains as well as their perceptions of the tool’s impact on their relationship with providers. Survey data was compiled by Performance Services and analysis was limited to descriptive interpretation.

Description: Among providers, the majority of survey responses came from either nurses (74.7%) or nursing assistants (16.5%); MD’s accounted for only 5.5% of responses. Lab values were the most frequently cited (56.4%) concern that providers addressed with patients using the tool. A majority (71.2%) of providers indicated the tablet did not affect the patient-provider relationship or increase the amount of time spent with the patient or the patient’s family. A majority of providers noted no increase in the number of pages (86.4% of MD’s) or call bells (85.5% of non-MD providers). Among patients, the majority (70.1%) of survey respondents were aged 18-64; 29.3% were aged 65 or older. The majority (86.3%) of patients indicated the tool was helpful and 74.1% felt the tool improved their overall experience during their hospitalization. In particular, reviewing the daily schedule (78.9% of patients), reviewing daily vitals and labs (79.8%), and learning about the care team (50.4%) were cited as helpful. More patients indicated the device improved communication with RN’s (54.1% of patients) than with MD’s (47%).

Conclusions: The MyChart Bedside Tool appears to improve the quality of most patients’ hospital experience with no perceived decline in the patient-provider relationship and no perceived increase in staff work burden. Patients’ positive perception of the tool relates largely to enhanced interactions with the nursing staff and opportunities to stay up to date about their own daily schedule, vitals, and labwork.  A major limitation of this study was the limited M.D. survey response rate.